Evaluation of Psychosomatic Complaints Scale among Iraqi Adolescents: Preliminary Findings

Psychosomatic complaints are physical problems for which physiological reasons cannot be found and thus are attributed to psychological issues. Studies show that psychosomatic complaints are on the rise among adolescents (Takata, 2001). There have not been any previous studies on psychosomatic compl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:North American journal of psychology 2023-09, Vol.25 (3), p.569-575
Main Authors: Musa, Ahmed Abdulhadi, Ali, Mohammed K, Jabbar, Ahmed S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Arabic language
Cronbach's alpha
Health services
Health surveys
High schools
International organizations
Medical diagnosis
Mental disorders
Mental health care
Physiological aspects
Physiology
Quantitative psychology
Questionnaires
Secondary schools
Teenagers
Validity
Youth
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Summary:Psychosomatic complaints are physical problems for which physiological reasons cannot be found and thus are attributed to psychological issues. Studies show that psychosomatic complaints are on the rise among adolescents (Takata, 2001). There have not been any previous studies on psychosomatic complaints among Iraqi adolescents. The reason for this gap is the lack of a valid and reliable scale in the Iraqi Arabic language. The aim of this study is to translate and validate Takata and Sakata's (2004) Psychosomatic Complaints Scale (PCS) among Iraqi adolescents. The present study is a validity and reliability study based on correlation with an external criterion and examining item-total correlations. The 30-item PCS was translated into Arabic by using backward and forward procedures. The scale was administered to 158 adolescents in two secondary schools in Najaf, Iraq. Item-total correlations, internal consistency reliability, and construct validity were examined. Preliminary findings showed a high Cronbach's alpha and good two-week test-retest reliability coefficient for the scale. Evaluation of item-total correlations (item discrimination) indicated items that discriminated well. The correlation between the scores from the Psychosomatic Complaints Scale and Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (r=.63) was considered as evidence of criterion validity. The findings of the present study are promising, but more sophisticated analyses are needed before the scale can be used in clinical settings.
ISSN:1527-7143